Medical research and practice are developing at a rapid pace. We now have the ability to sequence an entire patient genome, study properties at the single-cell level, and apply artificial intelligence in diagnostics and treatment. At the same time, the position of basic sciences in medical education is weakening, and students are sent to hospitals lacking specialists to learn clinical skills. In the future, we need doctors who are not only skilled at treating heart attacks and urinary tract infections but who also understand the discipline at its most fundamental level and can research new solutions.
Medical education in Norway is changing. While clinical training previously took place mainly at large university hospitals, it is now possible to complete the entire clinical part of the program (years 4 to 6) at smaller hospitals, many of which struggle with a shortage of specialists and physicians with academic backgrounds. At the same time, teaching in basic subjects such as biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics is being deprioritized. In the proposed new curriculum at UiB, a mere 2 credits will be allocated to genetics—a subject of critical future importance. Medical education in Norway is unfortunately shifting from an academic study to a more school-like training. This is also reflected in declining enrollment in the research track, which offers students an extra year to start a research career during their studies.
In parallel, professorships at medical faculties are increasingly filled by individuals without medical degrees because physicians are less scientifically qualified. Even in clinical disciplines, very few physicians hold full university positions, which is often a prerequisite for leading a top-tier international research group. We need a new generation of physicians with strong knowledge in fundamental subjects such as chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics, and informatics—doctors who can lead Norwegian medical research in the future. Perhaps the Weizmann Institute’s new medical education program can inspire us to take bold steps.
The Gutwirth Medical School at the Weizmann Institute (The Weizmann Institute of Science MD-PhD Program), which launched this October, is not just another medical program but represents a completely new approach to medical education in the 21st century. At a time when medicine and science are advancing at breakneck speed, the Weizmann Institute’s MD-PhD program will train physician-scientists who can leverage new technological solutions to develop groundbreaking medical diagnostics and treatments.
Unlike traditional medical studies, students at Gutwirth Medical School all enter a full MD-PhD program emphasizing interdisciplinary learning and integrating life sciences, mathematics, chemistry, and physics with clinical practice. Students conduct research in the institute’s world-leading laboratories while learning clinical medicine at Israel’s top hospitals. Four years of the total 7.5-year program are dedicated primarily to research, and students receive full stipends throughout their studies. The philosophy at the Weizmann Institute is that studies should not be disrupted by the need to earn money on the side. The program, which will admit 40 students annually, requires applicants to already hold a bachelor’s degree.
The Weizmann Institute’s initiative is both timely and strategic. It aims to strengthen biomedical research and recruit physicians into basic sciences, as well as foster a new generation of physician-scientists who can not only treat disease but also understand the discipline at its most fundamental level and lead research in areas such as precision medicine, AI-driven diagnostics, and regenerative therapies.
Can we do something similar? Perhaps a full MD-PhD program in Bergen could look like this:
• Admission based on grades and interviews, with emphasis on relevant prior studies
• Tailored preclinical studies over 3 years with research courses in statistics, informatics, artificial intelligence, chemistry, biology, and biochemistry
• Three years of research time, with clinical courses in parallel
• Tailored clinical training over 2 years, with ongoing research activity
• At least 4 years with full PhD stipend
I hope we in Bergen can consider such an initiative—it is needed to strengthen Norway’s future position in medical research.
